


Taking Care

by ladygray99



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Community: rounds_of_kink, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-23
Updated: 2010-01-23
Packaged: 2017-10-06 14:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladygray99/pseuds/ladygray99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sad about Megan leaving, Larry turns to his old lover, Charlie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking Care

Charlie turned off the tap with the last drops of hot water dripping into the tub with an almost metallic plink. Larry shivered in the middle of the bathroom, the cold rain water still dripping from his clothes, eyes closed, swaying softly, nearly asleep on his feet. He'd hardly said a word since Charlie had opened the door and found him standing there, cold, wet, haunted.

Charlie put his fingers to the bottom hem of Larry's t-shirt, still plastered to his skin. Larry's eyes flew open.

"What are you doing, Charles?" He asked, voice raspy from cold, or perhaps crying.

Charlie smile. "I'm taking care of you. Just like we used to. Remember?"

Larry nodded and closed his eyes again. Charlie peeled the wet clothes off Larry, frowning at the sight of ribs sticking out more clearly than they should. Charlie tossed the wet clothes into the hamper. Larry's eyes came open again when Charlie began stripping of his own clothes.

"What are you doing, Charles?" Larry asked again.

"I told you, I'm taking care of you. Just like we used to."

A smile quirked at Larry's lips for the first time that night. Charlie stepped into the warm water and held out a hand for Larry to join him. Larry took his hand and hissed as the hot water wrapped around his toes, nearly blue from cold.

Charlie pulled him close, wrapping his arms around Larry, a hug between two friends, ignoring the fact that they were both naked and standing in a bath tub.

"Come on, let's warm you up."

Charlie settled down into the bath, spreading his legs so Larry could sit between them and sink low, resting his head against Charlie's chest. Charlie watched as the water level crept up the side but didn't spill over. Charlie felt a little spark of pride in remembering just how much water the two of them displaced like this.

Charlie cupped warm water in his hand and let it trickle over Larry's thin chest. Charlie frowned again. Larry seemed to have lost muscle as well as weight. He'd have to do something about that later.

He let his fingers stroke through Larry's hair, trying to remember the last time they had shared a tub. It had once been common, as lovers and friends, sitting like this letting the water wash away fears, worries, and failures. Charlie realized it had been too long, five years since Larry had driven him to his restored Victorian, striped him of his funeral suit, and held him while his tears salted the bath water.

Charlie placed a hand on Larry's chest and felt his breath slow with sleep, probably badly needed. Charlie smiled and went over old fluid dynamics calculations while Larry rested and the water slowly cooled.

Just before the water reached body temperature Charlie dropped a kiss on Larry's head and gently rubbed his chest to wake him up.

"Come on." Charlie said softly. "Before we drown."

Larry stood on wobbly legs and Charlie followed, pulling the plug and grabbing towels for both of them. There was a time when this would have been so common that Larry would have had his own bath robe waiting on a hook next to Charlie's. Charlie made do with two large towels before bundling Larry down the hall to the bedroom.

Larry stopped just across the threshold of the door. "Charles?"

Charlie smiled. "You need sleep. Warm sleep. Let me take care of you again."

Larry nodded. Charlie pulled back the blankets, thankful he had changed the sheets that morning on a whim, and Larry crawled into bed shivering a little. Charlie quickly crawled in next to him and wrapped his arms around Larry, pulling him close.

Larry sighed. "I'd forgotten how warm you are."

Charlie chuckled. "Just this over clocked brain of mine trying to cool down." He put another kiss on top of Larry's head. "Get some sleep."

Larry nodded and snuggled close and drifted into sleep.


End file.
